Facebook snags hacker Geohot

iPhone hacker George Hotz – aka Geohot – is apparently now working at Facebook, though it’s unclear what his role at the social network entails. Best known for his hacks of the Apple iPhone, including unlocking SIM-locked handsets so that they can be used on other networks, as well as for being the target of a Sony lawsuit over PS3 modifications, Hotz confirmed his new role using his Facebook account.

TechUnwrapped flagged up the news after Greenpois0n developer P0sixninja mentioned it in a video podcast – the relevant segment of which you can see below. Techmeme’s Gabe Riviera then spotted the update on Hotz’s Facebook profile.

Understandably, speculation has begun over what, exactly, Geohot might be doing at Facebook. Two recently leaked projects which could tap into the hacker’s particular skills have made headlines recently: the “Project Spartan” HTML5 app store, which reportedly will use in-browser apps and Facebook Credits to take on Apple’s software distribution dominance, and the Facebook for iPad app, the long-demanded native social networking app for the Apple tablet.